Volvo To Go Leather-Free

As well as going electric, the Swedish firm will also go leather-free.

For thousands of years, humans have used leather for various things ranging from clothing to small accessories. Nowadays, people seem to associate leather with luxury, especially with automobile interiors. Most legacy automakers reserve all-leather interiors for a certain price point, and opt for a blend of soft-touch plastic and small amounts of leather for any models below it. However, Volvo has decided they will no longer be following this trend. 

Volvo has announced that they will not be offering leather interiors as an option for their upcoming EVs. Paired with a previous announcement that Volvo will go all-electric by 2030, this means animal hide will no longer be featured in any new Volvos after 2030. Instead, recycled and plant-based materials will be used. 

This decision was made to counter the carbon emissions and deforestation associated with cattle farming. Despite the change, the Swedish brand assures us these new materials will have the high-end look and feel that leather does.

Volvo certainly isn’t the first to offer exclusively non-leather materials for their interiors. EV startups like Tesla have been doing it from the very beginning of the company. Even luxury-focused automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi are offering optional artificial leather or microfiber seats on their EV models.

If only offering artificial materials becomes commonplace in the automobile industry, it’s curious to see how ultra-luxury brands renowned for their leather quality like Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin will respond. Will they follow suit and make the transition, or will they continue offering leather interiors despite potential backlash from environment-conscious clients?

What are your thoughts on leather-free car interiors? Share your opinions with us in the replies section below.

Image via Volvo Cars